Sensei
by red champagne
Summary: When did she grow up so much? A simple tease turns into something deeper. "Nothing is impossible when you're young and flexible..." oneshot kakasaku


"Kakashi?"

The silver-haired man remembered where he was, and quickly jolted awake. "Yes?"

The pink-haired medic nin smiled playfully. "Tsunade wants to see you."

He leaned back against the tree with a sigh and closed his eyes again. "She can see me later. I'm busy."

"Are you sure?"

"Yes. I am completely sure. Trust me."

"Okay," she said, and he mentally breathed a sigh of relief. "But you're not getting this book back, then."

He stiffened. "And what book might you be referring to, Sakura?"

She dangled it in front of her face, just above his nose. "This one."

He saw the familiar orange cover, heard the rustle of well-worn pages which had been flipped through countless times. How had she gotten it?

And, more importantly, how did she know that particular edition of _Icha Icha_ was his favorite?

His hand sprung up, and, in a flash, grabbed at the space the book had previously occupied. Damn. A split second too late.

"You'll never change."

He was sitting up now, and the sun shone into his eyes. He never liked to sleep with one eye covered. If he were attacked, it would severely impair his vision. God forbid the attacker stood on the wrong side of the bed.

"It wasn't that hard to pick out your favorite." She made a face. "That's disgusting."

It took him a second to realize that she was flipping through his book. He appeared behind her, reading over her shoulder. "That's my favorite part," he murmured softly. She didn't even bat an eye. Oh, he mourned the days when he could still surprise her. "Besides, this is hardly an appropriate book for a young woman such as yourself."

He didn't have to see her to know she rolled her eyes. "I'm not thirteen anymore, Kakashi. In fact, I haven't been thirteen for nine years."

"Pity. You were so much more agreeable then." He made to grab the book, but she had jumped and landed gracefully several feet in front of him.

She stuck her tongue out playfully at him, grabbing both side of the book and opening it wide, pictures out facing him.

He thought about the damage that was sure to have caused the spine and cried internally.

"You know," she said, pointing a delicate finger at one of the pictures on the page, "this is a completely unrealistic portrayal of a woman's body. No woman's breasts are naturally that… _engorged._ And the position itself is impossible."

"Nothing is impossible when you're young and flexible," he replied drily.

"Moreover, the man's proportions are quite off as well," she continued without so much as a hitch.

"I beg to differ."

She raised a pretty pink eyebrow at him. "I've seen quite a few men in my time as a medic, Kakashi."

"Well, they can speak for themselves then."

She grinned slyly. "You're so predictable."

"Enlighten me."

She let go of the book with one hand in favor of using it to illustrate her point in the air. "Well, you tend to have this thing for cutesy girls," she said candidly, with the same level of interest as one would read a shopping list, "uncovering their sexuality for the first time and loving it so much that they decide life is just not worth living unless they can – "

He blinked.

"- _fuck_ all day, every day."

"Ah."

"Yes. Anyway, Tsunade wanted to see you." She turned to leave.

"Sakura."

"Yes?"

"Whatever happened to the days when you looked up to me and called me 'Kakashi-sensei'?"

She shrugged. "I guess you lose things as you grow."

"I've always liked being called 'Kakashi-sensei'."

The sly smile returned. "Alright. Well, Tsunade wants to see you, _Kakashi-sensei._"

He sighed in nostalgia. "Takes me back to the days when you were still cute."

"And I'm not anymore," she cocked her head, green eyes wide and innocent, sweet smile playing on her lips, "_Kakashi-sensei_?"

"Careful," he responded. "Try a little harder and you might actually fool someone." Someone like me, he thought.

She had to fight to keep the sweet smile on her face, lest it be taken over by the devious grin. She took a step closer to him. "I need guidance. I need someone to show me the way."

He took a step back. "Oh?"

"Yes," she said. "You see, I've been having these strange feelings, twisting up inside me."

"Have you."

She nodded. "They've been bubbling up inside me," she was standing only inches from him now, "right about here," and she used her index finger to prod him gently, just inches below where his belly button would be.

He worked hard to keep the nonchalant expression on his face when she was looking up at him with those round green eyes, pink lips in a pretty pout.

"You know," she mumbled, looking up at him through her eyelashes, "We've always wondered what you looked like without your mask on…"

"We?"

"Naruto, Sasuke, and me. Did you have huge blimp lips? Or maybe you had a giant nose. My personal theory was that, maybe, under that mask, you were just plain ugly. That your mask was just a product of your own ego. Because something had to be wrong with you. No one, not even the copy nin, could be perfect."

She averted her eyes. He said nothing.

"I was right, wasn't I?"

"About what?" His voice was taut.

"Your mask is to hide your faults…" She was looking up at him determinedly now. Gently, her nimble fingers danced along the line of his mask, before tugging it down slowly. "But…" The cloth cover made its way over his nose. "Not physical imperfections, and not for your ego..."

The dark blue mask hung, useless around his neck.

"For your sanity," she whispered.

He had a straight nose and soft skin, his only blemish being a pale white scar on his top lip.

She lifted herself onto her toes and kissed him tenderly, tangling her fingers in his hair.

He kissed her back. He had always liked being called "Kakashi-sensei."

---

**Damn. Once again, I turned something that was supposed to be lighthearted and teasing, and turned it into a psychoanalysis on Kakashi's mental health. Inspired by the many, both well-written and not-as-well-written stories regarding Kakashi's guilt about NEVER BEING THERE FOR SAKURA. Maybe I'll write a story about Kakashi's guilt for NEVER BEING THERE FOR SAKURA. Or maybe not. The only way I'll know what you think is if you press that pretty little review button, please and thanks!**

**- Red**


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